Bergeron was called for tripping with 2.3 seconds left to end any hopes of a late rally to tie it.
The Bruins are now 1-3-0 on the season and will look to get back on track on Saturday in a showdown between the last two Stanley Cup champions in Chicago.
Third Period, 18:48, Hurricanes 3-2: Thomas has been pulled as the Bruins go with the extra attacker trying to tie this one with just over a minute left.
Third Period, 18:20, Hurricanes 3-2: The Hurricanes use their timeout for a breather after an icing gives the Bruins a key faceoff in the Carolina zone.
Third Period, 16:35, Hurricanes 3-2: The Bruins pull back within one as Brad Marchand scores on a one-timer.
With Thomas pulled for a delayed penalty call on Carolina and a Hurricane defenseman playing without a stick, Bergeron fired a turnaround pass from the left boards all the way to Marchand for the one-timer in the right circle.
Third Period, 13:32, Hurricanes 3-1: The Hurricanes add a huge insurance goal as Jiri Tlusty extends the Carolina lead back to two goals.
Brandon Sutter took the puck away from Jordan Caron in front of the Bruins net and passed it to Tlusty for the quick shot past Thomas.
Third Period, 11:40, Hurricanes 2-1: McQuaid has now gone to the locker room. he was clearly shaken up after falling into the boards and hitting his head.
Third Period, 10:50, Hurricanes 2-1: Benoit Pouliot threads a pass through a slew of legs and sticks across to Chara charging in on the left wing, but the captain's shot sailed just wide.
Third Period, 8:08, Hurricanes 2-1: The Bruins survive that penalty thanks to some stellar saves by Thomas.
McQuaid went awkwardly into the boards and appeared shaken up, but stays on the bench.
Third Period, 6:08, Hurricanes 2-1: The Bruins will have a big penalty to kill here as Rich Peverley is sent to the box for tripping.
Third Period, 4:07, Hurricanes 2-1: The Bruins strike right back as Tyler Seguin scores his first of the year.
McQuaid began the play with a pass up to Horton, who one-touched to Seguin. the youngster came down the right side and ripped a wrister over Ward's glove from the right circle.
Third Period, 3:42, Hurricanes 2-0: The Bruins are in trouble now, as Anthony Stewart extends the lead to 2-0.
He outmuscled Greg Campbell to get off a shot from the right slot that beat Thomas through a screen in front by Tim Brent.
Third Period, 1:25, Hurricanes 1-0: The Bruins come out strong in the third, with the top line creating several chances on that long opening shift. Seguin did take a huge hit from Tim Gleason though, but appeared OK.
Skinner is also back on the bench for Carolina after leaving in the second following a big hit by Marchand.
Third Period, 0:00, Hurricanes 1-0: The final frame is under way in Carolina, with the Bruins in need of a rally to pull this one out in Raleigh.
Second Intermission Notes: The Bruins have now gone 111 minutes, 17 seconds without scoring, with their last goal coming at 8:43 of the third period against Tampa Bay on Saturday.
Part of that drought stems from the club's power-play struggles. Boston is 0 for 5 in this game and 1 for 18 on the season.
If there's been a bright spot, it has been the new top line. Tyler Seguin has played well at center, with three shots in 12:33 of ice time. He's also helped to get linemates Nathan Horton (3 shots) and Milan Lucic (2 shots) more active as well. That line has eight of Boston's 17 shots so far.
End Second Period, Hurricanes 1-0: Two frames are done in Carolina, and the Bruins' scoring drought continues. The Hurricanes did manage to get one shot past Tim Thomas and will take a lead into the final frame.
Second Period, 18:28, Hurricanes 1-0: Jeff Skinner has headed to the Carolina locker room after taking a hard hit from Brad Marchand. That would be a huge loss for the Hurricanes if Skinner can't return.
Second Period, 14:58, Hurricanes 1-0: The Bruins kill that penalty off, with Thomas robbing Kaberle early in the advantage on a point-blank bid when Kaberle was set up all alone in the slot.
Second Period, 12:58, Hurricanes 1-0: The Bruins squander that chance as Johnny Boychuk is called for goalie interference pinching in deep to try to convert a feed from Bergeron, but can't stop himself from colliding with Ward.
Second Period, 11:05, Hurricanes 1-0: The Bruins go right back on the power play as Chad LaRose is sent to the box for hooking.
Second Period, 10:23, Hurricanes 1-0: The Bruins can't convert again, though they has several good chances. Bergeron almost stuffed one in short side, while Lucic had a chance in front.
Second Period, 8:23, Hurricanes 1-0: The Bruins will get yet another chance on the power play as Carolina is called for too many men on the ice for the second time in this game.
Second Period, 5:18, Hurricanes 1-0: The Bruins fail again on the power play and are now 1 for 16 with the man advantage this season. They scored on the first, and have now failed to convert 15 straight.
Second Period, 3:18, Hurricanes 1-0: The Hurricanes cost themselves some momentum as Jiri Tlusty is called for high-sticking and the Bruins now have another chance on the power play.
Second Period, 0:42, Hurricanes 1-0: The Hurricanes strike first in the closing seconds of that power play.
Joni Pitkanen gets the goal as he sneaks in deep on the right side and snaps a shot from the faceoff circle past Thomas, who had to contend with a screen in front in the form of big bodies Chara and Staal. Old friend Tomas Kaberle gets the power-play assist, along with Jussi Jokinen.
Second Period, 0:00, 0-0: The middle frame is under way in carolina, with the Hurricanes still on the power play with Chris Kelly in the box for hooking.
First Intermission Notes: The Bruins have had some chances early, but they continue to struggle to finish those opportunities.
It's now been 81:17 of game time since they last scored. The problems have been especially pronounced on the power play, which has somehow managed to be even less effective than it was in the playoffs. Boston is now 1 for 15 on the man advantage this season, a dhas not scored in 14 straight chances since scoring on its first power play of the year.
Tyler Seguin was solid in his first period on the top line, putting a pair of shots on goal in 6:45 of ice time.
End First Period, 0-0: The opening 20 minutes are in the books and the teams head to the locker room scoreless.
First Period, 18:48, 0-0: Big pileup outside Boston crease as Adam McQuaid wrestles Jeff Skinner down, bringing everyone into a scrum that also involved Brad Marchand and Eric Staal.
the only penalty called went to Chris Kelly for a hook outside the blue line before that rush, and the Bruins will be shorthanded for the first time.
First Period, 18:30, 0-0: Tim Thomas has been under siege the last couple shifts, but he's kept it scoreless with a few big saves and a mighty assist from Zdeno Chara, who blocked a rebound bid by Jussi Jokinen on the right side with an open net in front of him after Thomas stopped the initial shot from the slot.
First Period, 15:58, 0-0: The Bruins continue to press and have had some chances, but still can't break through. Their scoring drought now more than four periods after Monday's shutout.
First Period, 12:21, 0-0: The Bruins top line creates some chances with Horton sending in a shot and Lucic following it up, but Ward keeps everything out of the cage.
Johnny Boychuk then leveled Eric Staal with a big hit at center ice as the physical play continues to ramp up.
First Period, 10:05, 0-0: Things are getting physical and a little chippy now, with Shawn Thornton and Adam McQuaid looking to get something going by throwing their weight around.
It will be hard to find a taker on the Carolina team though, as the Hurricanes don't have a heavyweight or any real regular fighters, though Gleason, Harrison and Allen can scrap if necessary.
First Period, 8:54, 0-0: The power-play struggles continue for the Bruins with another fruitless effort with the extra attacker.
First Period, 6:54, 0-0: The Bruins won't have to wait long for another chance with the man advantage, as Jeff Skinner goes off for slashing.
First Period, 6:23, 0-0: The Bruins can't convert that power-play chance, though they did manage three shots on Ward.
First Period, 4:23, 0-0: The Bruins will get the first power-play chance of the night as Carolina is called for too many men. In light of that penalty, will it shock anybody that Dave Lewis is now a Carolina assistant?
First Period, 3:20, 0-0: The Bruins have settled into their expected lines now, with Seguin between Lucic and Horton. That lines nearly produces a goal with a wild goal-mouth scramble.
Thomas has already come up with big stops on Tlusty in the opening moment and Chad LaRose a few shifts later.
First Period, 0:00, 0-0: And the Bruins' first road game of the year is under way in Carolina. Boston will be looking to bounce back from Monday's disappointing 1-0 loss to Colorado and continue their recent domination of the Hurricanes. The Bruins are 11-2-0 in the last 13 games against Carolina.
7:35 p.m.: At least for the start of the game, the Bruins lines will be shuffled a bit, as Boston will open with Patrice Bergeron between Brad Marchand and Nathan Horton. Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg are back together on defense, with Tim Thomas in goal.
Carolina counters with Jiri Tlusty, Brandon Sutter and Patrick Dwyer up front, Bryan Allen and Tim Gleason on the blue line and Cam Ward in net.
David Krejci (core injury) and Matt Bartkowski are the scratches for Boston, with Justin Faulk, Ryan Murphy and Derek Joslin out for the Hurricanes.
7:30 p.m.: It's no surprise, but it will indeed be Tim Thomas and Cam Ward in the goals for this one.
Thomas is 1-1-0 with a 1.51 GAA and a .945 save percentage this season, allowing three goals on 55 shots. Against Carolina in his career, he's 10-8-1 with a 2.65 GAA and .921 save percentage.
Ward is 0-2-0 with a 4.03 GAA and .864 save percentage, allowing eight goals on 59 shots this season. Against Boston, he's just 8-10-2 with a 2.82 GAA and .909 save percentage, but did prevail over Thomas in their only playoff clash when the Hurricanes won in seven games in the second round back in 2009.
7:15 p.m.: Another pair of players to watch are the blueliners who switched teams this offseason.
The Hurricanes signed Tomas Kaberle away from Boston despite Kaberle's underwhelming performance in his brief stint as a Bruin.
The Bruins then acquired Joe Corvo from Carolina. Corvo has been decent so far, with an assist and an even rating in three games.
Kaberle does not have a point and is a minus-3 in his first three games with the Hurricanes. Those numbers won't come as a surprise to Bruins fans, but it is a bit surprising that Kaberle has more shots (8) than Corvo (6) so far. With the way Corvo likes to tee up his blistering shot from the point and Kaberle prefers to pass, that statistical quirk shouldn't last long.
7 p.m.: The focus in this one will fall largely on a pair of second-year players.
For the Bruins, Tyler Seguin takes center stage as he moves to the top line with David Krejci sidelined. Seguin has already shown flashes this season, and is tied for the team lead with three points in three games.
For Carolina, Jeff Skinner is the guy to keep a close eye on. He won the Calder Trophy last year as the NHL rookie of the year and he's picked right up where he left off with five points through three games.
6:30 p.m.: The Bruins will take the ice in their road whites for the first time this season in just about an hour, as they open a two-game road trip in Carolina.
They won't have David Krejci for this one, as he remained behind in Boston with what coach Claude Julien described as a "core injury" suffered in practice on Tuesday. Krejci is listed as day to day and his status for Saturday's showdown between the last two Cup champions in Chicago will be determined later in the week.
With Krejci out, Tyler Seguin will get an opportunity to skate on the top line between Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton. Jordan Caron returns to the lineup in Seguin's old spot on the third line, while the other combinations will remain unchanged.
3:50 p.m.: Seguin will get the start between Lucic and Horton, as seen in the lines below.
Forwards
Milan Lucic-Tyler Seguin-Nathan Horton
Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron-Rich Peverley
Benoit Pouliot-Chris Kelly-Jordan Caron
Daniel Paille-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton
Defense
Zdeno Chara-Joe Corvo
Dennis Seidenberg-Johnny Boychuk
Andrew Ference-Adam McQuaid
Goalies
Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask
Scratches: David Krejci (core injury), Matt Bartkowski, Steven Kampfer (knee)
Projected Hurricanes lines
Forwards
Jeff Skinner-Eric Staal-Chad LaRose
Alexei Ponikarovsky-Jussi Jokinen-Tuomo Ruutu
Jiri Tlusty-Brandon Sutter-Patrick Dwyer
Zac Dalpe-Tim Brent-Anthony Stewart
Defense
Bryan Allen-Tim Gleason
Tomas Kaberle-Jay Harrison
Joni Pitkanen-Jamie McBain
Goalies
Cam Ward
Brian Boucher
Scratches: Justin Faulk, Ryan Murphy, Derek Joslin
8 a.m. ET: After a disappointing performance Monday afternoon against Colorado, the Bruins will look to bounce back when they hit the road for the first time this season with a two-game trip beginning Wednesday in Carolina.
The Bruins managed just one win in their three-game homestand to start the season, learning quickly that life as the reigning champion isn't easy. Every opponent has extra motivation to beat the team currently holding the Cup, a lesson hammered home by the Avalanche's inspired effort in blanking the Bruins 1-0 on Monday.
The Hurricanes will be fired up as well, especially since they are off to a disappointing 0-2-1 start of their own.
"They've got some good young players," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "They're a team with a lot of energy, good speed. We can talk about other teams all we want, but it really is about understanding that we're probably going to see their best [Wednesday]. They're still looking for their first win, so they're probably a very desperate team. Hopefully we're a very desperate team that wants to play a little better than we did the last game."
The Hurricanes have a number of talented youngsters on their roster, led by last year's rookie of the year Jeff Skinner, who is off to a 1-4-5 start through three games. Ryan Murphy, Carolinas first-round pick this past June, is also with the club, but has been a healthy scratch in the first three games as the Hurricanes have nine defensemen on their roster to start the season. Murphy was on Boston's radar with the No. 9 pick before Dougie Hamilton unexpectedly slid to the Bruins, leaving Murphy to go to Carolina with the 12th pick.
The Bruins will also be reunited with defenseman Tomas Kaberle, who signed with Carolina this summer after an underwhelming run with Boston following a deal with Toronto at the trade deadline. Bruins fans probably won't be shocked to hear that Kaberle is off to a slow start with the Hurricanes. He has no points and a minus-3 rating through three games.
The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. in Carolina, so check back here for updates on all the action.
